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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22371085">Tender Lovin'</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleTwoLegs/pseuds/LittleTwoLegs'>LittleTwoLegs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Blacklist (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Board Games, Comedy, F/M, Gen, Gossip, M/M, Mention of Vigilante Justice, Two Truths and A Lie, mention of rape</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:00:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,645</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22371085</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleTwoLegs/pseuds/LittleTwoLegs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Play with me.” Liz demanded. Red raised a brow. “Please?” She said, her voice dripping with honey. Red sighed. Damn woman could get him to do almost anything.</p><p>“What is it?” He asked in a put-upon tone. Liz grinned in her victory and wiggled into the seat beside him. </p><p>She explained in detail the purpose of the game; get your piece to the end of the board before your opponent. The how was the tricky part. You rolled the single die, moved that many and according to the color, picked a card. On that card was a question. You had to tell 3 stories and the other person had to tell which one is either a lie or a truth. If the lie was correctly discovered the player moved back to their original space. </p><p>Red internally groaned as he read the first question in the pink stack. “Where was your first kiss?”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elizabeth Keen &amp; Raymond Reddington, Raymond Reddington &amp; Dembe Zuma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tender Lovin'</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just something funny that popped into my head a while ago. Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reddington did many things to pass the time when he was on the run; he read, studied different techniques useful to his business, sometimes he even practiced languages with Dembe or made future plans, bouncing ideas off his loyal friend. With Lizzy on the run with him, however, he found whole new ways to pass the time.</p><p>They were staying with an old acquaintance of Red’s, brought together by tragedy and revenge. The young woman had avoided two murder charges largely in thanks to Red owning a few judges. He was not opposed to rapists being taken off the planet even if they had served their time. Sex slavery and abuse were one of his pet peeves so when he had heard of the young woman murdering her sister’s rapists the week they were released from their 11 year sentence he had gotten to work.</p><p>It did not hurt that she had over 3 different holdings of 200 or more acres of private property in Texas and what could be called an armory at each establishment. He did so love the mentality of Southerners; hospitality to friends and new neighbors, lead to enemies, strangers and the government.</p><p>The house they were currently at was mostly used as a hunting lodge during the season but was large enough to need a cleaning staff and have a fairly large library as well as a servant’s quarters and entrances. Meg had offered it to Reddington for as long as he needed, asking only that he stay out of her private office, a rule he was perfectly willing to abide after having Dembe and Baz thoroughly toss it for bugs and other surveillance. With her permission, of course.</p><p>He was very grateful to her, so much so that he made plans to have the library stocked with first editions of her “Prized Shelf”. Nothing says “thank you” like rare first editions of the classics.</p><p>The library was also the only place in the house with an internet connection and phone line. When Red had to do business it had to be in the library. It was where he and Lizzy sent Aram an email asking him to meet them out there (deeply coded, of course, and to a different location where Dembe would pick him up and travel with him for two days to get where they really were). Red never let her surf the net or anything, unfortunately for her, hoping to keep them off the radar as much as possible.</p><p>Lizzy, bored of exploring the house and terrified to go outside after seeing the size of boars that roamed the land freely earlier in the day, joined him in the library most nights, her boredom eased by cards, wine and conversation from her companion. While waiting for Aram that night she had found a board game closet, a shout of victory escaping her as she plunged right in.</p><p>After having Baz fetch a stool for her and hold many boxes she found interesting she screeched, making Red jump but he immediately relaxed at Baz’s gentle laughter. Lizzy being Lizzy it seemed, he thought with a smile. He swirled his wine in its delicate glass and leaned his head back into the plush armchair. This place was really something, he might have to ask to purchase it if Meg was willing. She didn’t hunt much anymore but it was a nice source of income to rent out. Maybe she’d accept to close it for that and just lease it to him. Well, an alias of his, anyway.</p><p>He snapped out of his thoughts at the bang of a box on the small table in front of him. Elizabeth stood there with a shit eating grin on her face as she stared down at the box. On the cover were a bunch of teenagers and an image of the board included in whatever game it was.</p><p>“Play with me.” Liz demanded. Red raised a brow. “Please?” She said, her voice dripping with honey. Red sighed. Damn woman could get him to do almost anything.</p><p>“What is it?” He asked in a put-upon tone. Liz grinned in her victory and wiggled into the seat beside him.</p><p>She explained in detail the purpose of the game; get your piece to the end of the board before your opponent. The how was the tricky part. You rolled the single die, moved that many and according to the color, picked a card. On that card was a question. You had to tell 3 stories and the other person had to tell which one is either a lie or a truth. If the lie was correctly discovered the player moved back to their original space.</p><p>Red internally groaned as he read the first question in the pink stack. “Where was your first kiss?” he spoke. Liz’s eyes shined and he knew she was fighting back a huge smile.</p><p>Alright, she asked for it.</p><p>An hour later, he won (predictably), but the questions continued.</p><p>He was relaxed back into the couch, two fingers of fine cognac in his slowly swirling glass, as Lizzy leaned against him, using his belly and a pillow as support to stay awake and read the cards. He had placed the small throw that had been behind him over Lizzy when she had began complaining she was cold but she still stuck her feet out over the arm of the chair, her pink socks doing little to ward off the chill.</p><p>She flipped to the next card. “In your shared group of friends who would you be willing to start a FWB relationship?” She laughed, knowing the only people they had in common were at the Post Office and Red’s private team. Oh the choices available.</p><p>Red made a pained sound beneath her and she snorted. “Must we continue these shenanigans? You now know my man-crush, the harrowing tale of my first turn down and the full take of my time naked in the desert.” He heaved a sigh. “Must we continue?”</p><p>Lizzy pouted. “The last one. Promise.” Her lips wriggled as she tried to contain her giggles but eventually they won out. Reddington took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. The sign of defeat prompted Lizzy to roll over into her stomach, resting her chin on the pillow wedged between her and Red. She fixed him with a stare as she waited for his answer. She was genuinely curious, if for selfish reasons.</p><p>“You first. And be honest, Lizzy.” Red scolded. He poked her side, making the woman laugh.</p><p>She hummed in thought, tapping a perfectly manicured nail against her lips. “Ressler.” It was said with a finality that made Red frown.</p><p>“Donald!?” He protested. “Really?” in all truth he had nothing against the man, in fact he quite liked him even if he was a bit of a governmental tool. Red also knew, however, it could never be just sex between Ressler and Lizzy; they both had too many emotional hang ups for that.</p><p>Elizabeth snorted. “Have you seen those arms?” She hummed approvingly. “Yes, really.” She prodded his belly. “Your turn.”</p><p>Red rolled his tongue, truly considering his options. It was a very small group he could choose from and there were a few people who were immediately off of his list. Dembe was too much a fraternal figure to contemplate it, even if Red could admit he cut a striking figure. Ressler was nixed because… he just couldn’t. With everyone left over Red knew immediately who he would pick.</p><p>He took a sip of his cognac, relishing in the burn as it engulfed his stomach. “Aram.” A smirk made its way to his face as Elizabeth almost choked on her stolen sip of his drink. She coughed a bit, trying to maintain eye contact with him.</p><p>“Aram?” She questioned, her voice pitched higher but rougher from the unexpected attack of alcohol on her throat. Red laughed, taking back his drink from her trembling fingers. “For real?”</p><p>“Yes, Lizzy, for real.” Red shifted and huffed at the small noise of complaint Liz made. “With all the nonsense I have to put up with every day I think Aram would be a wonderful lover, very attentive and giving.” He explained as if it was obvious.</p><p>Liz laughed. “So is that what it takes to be the lover of Raymond Reddington; be ‘attentive and giving’?” she teased.</p><p>Red shrugged, pulling an honest face. “If I wanted a good, hard fuck, I’d call Samar.” He gave deep grunt of approval. “Now that woman has a deep well of fire that I would just love to be burned by.”</p><p>“Uh…”</p><p>Their attention was brought to the doorway where Aram stood, a specialized computer bag clutched to his chest, Dembe behind him. </p><p>Red immediately smiled, congenial to the last. “Oh, hello Agent Mojtabai! Welcome, make yourself at home!” He invited, waving to the love seat on the other side of the coffee table. Liz sat up, taking with it her warmth from his side.</p><p>“Uh, thanks…” Aram mumbled, a blush on his face. Elizabeth tried to hide her smile behind the once again stolen glass of cognac but it proved too much and she collapsed into tipsy and happy giggles.</p><p>Red frowned and stood, brushing imagined lint from his pants. “Well if <em>that’s</em> how its going to be, Lizzy,” he said as he began rearranging his sleeves to their appropriate positions. “<em>You</em> can tell him everything he needs to know.” He rearranged his vest and tossed his hands out, silently asking for opinions on his appearance.</p><p>Aram smiled and nodded, carefully sitting on the small love seat while Elizabeth bit her lip and nodded, trying to contain her giggles. Red rolled his eyes, shook his head and left the room, ignoring the echoing laughter as Elizabeth let her mirth free once more.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope at least some of you got a good laugh out of this! Please let me know your thoughts, good or bad.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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